Electric battery



Nov. 28, 1933.

wQB. SCHUL-ra l-:r AL 1,937,046

ELECTRIC BATTERY Filed Ma'y 1e, 1929 2 sheets-sheet 1 Figa- 'zo' l d /9 /9 l. l l ll 2 l l f i:

'nl f /4/3' INVENToRs, n. B. `Srs/n.1 /e Y .SI Z 00k ATTORN EYS w. B'. scHuLTE E1- AL ELECTRIC BATTERY 2 Sheets-Sheet 2' Filed May 16, 1929A IW 4 5 LM ,ma T/ N Nok oc R E, 0 O 3% y n N 4 r A Wj mw.

mi 25W,

l Patented Nov. 12s, 1933 ELECTRIC waiter B. schulte and John s. zoommdimn, Wis., assignors to Burgess Battery, Company,

Madison, Wis., a corporation of Wisconsin Application May 16, 1929. serial No. 363,451

` 2 Claims. (Cl. 13G-108) Thisy invention relates to an improved electric battery and speciiically to a dry cell battery encased in a metal container. Itis of such construction that it may be used in a hand lamp 5 of the .type described and claimed in the John S. Zook Patent No. 1,701,093. It is an-improvement inA construction over .the battery in that patent.- v

It is an object of this invention to provide a battery which is easy to assemble, cheap to `make, which may be made Veryattractive in appearance and which is of rugged construction. Other objects will become apparent when the accompanying specification is read in conjuncy shown tion with the drawings in which:

Fig. 1 is a partial cross sectional elevation along the linesl-l of Fig. 3;

Fig. 2 is a cross sectional elevation along the lines 2-2 of Fig. 3 when viewed inthedirection of the arrows;

Fig. 3 is a top view of the battery; Fig. 4 is a partial cross sectional-elevation of the container; 1

Fig. 5 is a top view of the container in partial cross section without thejbottoin closure; and

` Fig. 6 illustrates an indentation in the topedge of a'cup forming a part of the battery unit.

In the form of the invention shown in Figs. 1, 2 and 3 of the drawings a battery unit 1, 1, 1, is

. v enclosed in an open top metal container 2 having an insulating sheet bottom closure 3 which is preferably made of heavy paper. The bottom of the container may be made of metal similar to the side wall. Although such a, metal bottom may be covered with an insulating sheet this is not necessary in the preferred form of construction las is shown in the drawings. The metal contain, er is made by shaping a iiat metal sheet, which preferably has been lithographed previously with appropriate decorative designs, into a flattenedoval shape open-endedtube shown in Figs. 4 and 5. The tube may be formed by an inter-locking crimp at the seam 4. The bottom edge of the tube is turned in or flanged at substantially right angles to form a ledge 5. The insulating sheet bottom closure 3 is inserted asvshown and rests on this ledge to form an open-top metal container. The height of the container above the bottom closure is about the same as the battery unit to be enclosed therein.

The battery unit 1, 1, 1, which is inserted into the metal container 2 is rst assembled independently of the container. In the preferred form two or more sets of two or more cylindrical cells are connected electrically in parallel series relation. In the unit shown in Figs. 1 and 2, two sets of two cells, 6-7'andf8-9 are so'connected' that thetwo laterally adjacent upper'cells 6 and 7 are connected in parallel, and the two laterally. adjacent lower cells 8 and 9 are connected likeeo wise. yThe zinc cans of the two kupper cells 6 and '7 are electrically connected as by soldering at 10',` while the positive poles 11 and 12 of said cells respectively may be connected'electrically by a flat metal strip 13 soldered thereto. cans of the lower cells 8 andl 9 are electrically connected as by soldering at 14 while the positive,A i

poles 15 and 16 ofv said cells respectively maybe connected electrically by a\flat metal strip 1'7 soldered thereto. made integral with connector 18 which is used for making electrical connection with the upperf v pair of cells. 'Ihe two pairs of cells are mounted in'a jig'and the upper and lowerpairs ofcells so spacedvapart that the battery unit 1, 1, 1, will be ofapproximately the same length as the. height of the container 2. Connecting strip 18 is-soldered to the upper zinccans by means of solder 10. The positive poles of the bottom cells therefore are at the same potential as the zinc cans of the'upper cells. An insulatingsheet 19, f

' preferably of attened-oval shape an`d preferablymade of heavy water-proofed paper and contain-` ingv a hole registering with; lpositive pole 12 is then placed on the connector 13. A metal cup l20 having a wire lead 21 depending therefrom` isthen arranged above said insulating sheet 19. Wire 21 is soldered or otherwise fastened to the .bottom of cup 20 as shown. A sheet of insulating` material'BO such as parailined paper or tar lined kraft is'folded and slipped over wire 21 as shown in Figs. 1 and 2. Wire 21 is thus insulated from the zinc'cans of cells 6 and '7. Wire 21 isfsoldered to can 8 or 9 at 14, and maintains the proper distance between the top of the c'up 20 and thebottom of the unit as previously explained.

The cup is oi a attened-oval shape andis preferably of such size and shape that it forms a snug sliding t into container 2. It is provided with an opening 22 of irregular shape ad- 100 v jacent of one end of the bottom. This opening allows the positive pole 12 of cell 7 to be exposed through the hole in insulating sheet 19. 'I'he sideedges of opening 22 are flanged up at 23. Although the cup may be used with the positive l2 or connector 13 exposed through the hole in insulating strip 19 as described in the Zook patent the construction shown in Figs. 1 to 3 is preferred, such construction being the subject matter of .Iohn S; Zook application Serial No. 110

The zinc .65'V

Saidmetal strip 1'? may bemk pole Y tion of the cup 10 ety Vferred construction the flanged down at the ends 24. A substantially rectangular piece of insulating sheet material 25 'is adapted `to be arranged in this opening.. The

312,809, led October 16, 1928 mow Patent No. 1,763,874, granted June 1'7, 1930). In this preends of opening 22 are member 25 is provided with a perforation 26 into which a metal eyelet may be securely fastened by any suitable means, such as.riveting. vThe insulating member 25 is of a width substantially equal to the length of to slide sideways into place between flanges 24 and the bottom of cup 20 as shown in Figs. 1 and 2. The insulating member 22 with the eyelet mounted therein is so positioned that after the cup 20 is in position at the top of insulating sheet 19, the eyelet and hole 26 and the hole in insulating sheet 19 are directly over pole .12. A drop of fused conducting material, such as solder, is then allowed to run into and ll the hole of the eyelet and run down upon the top surface of pole l2 or conductor 13. This provides a permanent and rigid electrical *connection between the two. The cup 20 has wings 27 and a lug 28 i which are punched in from the sides and bottom respectively of cup 20 for the purposes set forth in the Zook patent. The cup 20 also has an indentation cut out of its upper edge preferably at 29 as shown in Figs. 1, 3 and 6 and fora purpose to be hereinafter set forth. The assembly of the battery unit is now complete.

A sheet of flexible, insulating, sheet material 31, such as wax paper or tar-lined kraft, is wrapped around the battery unit below the cup 20. It need only cover the portions of zinc cans 6 and '7 that are adjacent the sheet metal container 2 as these zinc cans are at a different potential than the container. Zinc cans 8 and 9 which are electrically connected by wire 21 to cup 20 are at the same potential as the container and therefore need not be insulated therefrom. For convenience the insulation preferably vcovers the unit from the base of the cup to the bottom of cells 8 and 9. The battery unit 1, 1, l, and insulation 31 are now inserted into container 2. Since the cup 20 constituting the top of the battery unit, is of the same lateral contour and size as the cross-section of the assembled cells and since the cup forms a snug sliding fit into the container 2, the entire battery ably and preferably snugly. into the container. After insertion of the battery 'unit the top edge of the container is crimped inward at the poradjacent the point 29 to form the crimp 32 and thereby lock the battery unit into the metal container. To avoid interference betweenseam e and zinc cans 6, '7, 8 and 9, the

' be reversed, that is, the

opening 22 and is adapted unit 'fits slidformer .is arranged to occur intermediate the portions' of container 2 which are adjacent'the cells.

modified in various ways as. will be apparent to those skilled in the art. Such variations are within the rscope of my invention. The cells mayy positive lead may contact with the metal cup and the negative lead may contact with the eyelet. Under those conditions itis necessary to insulate all of the cells from the metal container. cells are connected in parallel in each group the necessary connections are readily apparent to those skilled in the art. y It is possible to omit insulating sheet 3l either by coating the zinc cans of cells 6 and 7 with an insulating material such as Duco, bakelite, rubber, or the like, or by coating the inside ofcan 2 with such an insulating material. insulating sheet 30 may be omitted if wire 21 is coated with an insulating material. It is also possible to have the positive poles 15 and 16 of the lower set with the bottoms of the zinc cans and omitting'the soldering operation as is the present day'practice with tubular flashlight batteries.

We claim:

of cells make direct contact of cells 6 and '7 The above preferred form of battery may be When more' than two 1. A dry cell battery comprising a multiplicity y of sets-of laterally adjacent, parallel connected cells, one set positioned above the other, -said sets of parallel connected cells being connected in series, a metal'cup mounted at the top of said cells, and a metal shell open-top container in which said cells and cup are snugly enclosed, said metal shell comprising a'metal sheet bent laterally to conform to the lateral contour of said cup, the edges of said sheet being united by a longitudinal interlocking crimp, said crimp being arranged to occur intermediate the portion adjacent said cells.

2. A battery i sets of laterally adacent, parallel connected cells, one set positioned above the other, said sets of parallel connected cells being connected in series, a metal cup mounted at the top of said cells and forming one terminal of said battery circuit and means for spacing and electrically connecting said sets of cells, said means consisting cfa sti conductor attached to said upper and lower sets of cells, the attachment to one of said sets-of cells being at a point upon the side of the zinc can of a cell of said set arranged longitudinally so battery unit.

WALTER B. SC2" 7 TE. JOHN S. ZOOK.

unit comprising a multiplicity of.

lesl 

